Leeds United face fight with Celtic over Wolves striker Doyle - YEP 6/6/13
by Phil Hay
Leeds United are competing with Scottish double-winners Celtic for the signature of Wolves striker Kevin Doyle.
Celtic have signalled their intention to make an offer for Kevin Doyle with Leeds United looking to beat Neil Lennon to the forward’s signature.
Lennon hinted strongly at a renewed effort to take Doyle to Glasgow last night as it emerged that Leeds are vying with the Scottish champions for the 29-year-old striker.
Neither club are thought to have made a formal bid to Doyle’s existing side, Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the Republic or Ireland international is aware of interest in him and will leave Molineux before the start of next season.
His contract with Wolves runs until June 2015 but back-to-back relegations have dragged the West Midlands club into League One and made Doyle’s summer departure inevitable.
Celtic tried and failed to sign him on loan in January but are now looking to negotiate a permanent transfer.
Leeds manager Brian McDermott is also an admirer of Doyle’s and will attempt to persuade him to cut his salary of around £25,000 a week and return to the Championship with United.
McDermott launched Doyle’s career in England in 2005 by identifying him as a worthwhile investment while he was chief scout at Reading and Doyle was on the books of Irish side Cork City.
Doyle completed four seasons at Reading and has been at Molineux for the past three years. Wolves, however, are planning for a term in League One under the management of new boss Kenny Jackett and expect Doyle to leave. His contract - signed in 2011 - did not include any relegation clauses designed to reduce his wages.
Celtic boss Lennon showed his hand yesterday saying: “I’ve always liked Kevin.
“He wasn’t having a great time at Wolves and we just felt that coming to Celtic for a few months (in January) might have re-energised him.
“He’s got the talent, he’s got the quality and to be fair to him he had a good run towards the end of the season when he started banging a few goals in for Wolves.
“There’s an interest in Kevin and always has been.”
Leeds presently have offers on the table for four unnamed players, with forward Noel Hunt and centre-back Matt Mills seen as likely recruits.
Hunt is close to the end of his contract at Reading and Mills has been made available by Bolton Wanderers for a fee in excess of £750,000. Both players featured for Reading during McDermott’s time as manager, though Doyle had left the Madejski Stadium by the time the 52-year-old replaced Brendan Rodgers.
Manchester City youngster Reece Wabara, a versatile defender who spent much of the recent season on loan at Oldham Athletic, has also been strongly linked with a move to Elland Road on loan.
Speaking on Tuesday, McDermott said: “We’ve made offers to players and we’ve gone for four so far.
“We’re working on them at the moment and they’re players who would improve the squad. But there are others who I’m looking to speak to.
“I want to bring in others on top of that.
“I won’t talk names and I won’t talk timescales because it means nothing until you’ve got a player signed. But we are progressing.”
Leeds United are competing with Scottish double-winners Celtic for the signature of Wolves striker Kevin Doyle.
Celtic have signalled their intention to make an offer for Kevin Doyle with Leeds United looking to beat Neil Lennon to the forward’s signature.
Lennon hinted strongly at a renewed effort to take Doyle to Glasgow last night as it emerged that Leeds are vying with the Scottish champions for the 29-year-old striker.
Neither club are thought to have made a formal bid to Doyle’s existing side, Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the Republic or Ireland international is aware of interest in him and will leave Molineux before the start of next season.
His contract with Wolves runs until June 2015 but back-to-back relegations have dragged the West Midlands club into League One and made Doyle’s summer departure inevitable.
Celtic tried and failed to sign him on loan in January but are now looking to negotiate a permanent transfer.
Leeds manager Brian McDermott is also an admirer of Doyle’s and will attempt to persuade him to cut his salary of around £25,000 a week and return to the Championship with United.
McDermott launched Doyle’s career in England in 2005 by identifying him as a worthwhile investment while he was chief scout at Reading and Doyle was on the books of Irish side Cork City.
Doyle completed four seasons at Reading and has been at Molineux for the past three years. Wolves, however, are planning for a term in League One under the management of new boss Kenny Jackett and expect Doyle to leave. His contract - signed in 2011 - did not include any relegation clauses designed to reduce his wages.
Celtic boss Lennon showed his hand yesterday saying: “I’ve always liked Kevin.
“He wasn’t having a great time at Wolves and we just felt that coming to Celtic for a few months (in January) might have re-energised him.
“He’s got the talent, he’s got the quality and to be fair to him he had a good run towards the end of the season when he started banging a few goals in for Wolves.
“There’s an interest in Kevin and always has been.”
Leeds presently have offers on the table for four unnamed players, with forward Noel Hunt and centre-back Matt Mills seen as likely recruits.
Hunt is close to the end of his contract at Reading and Mills has been made available by Bolton Wanderers for a fee in excess of £750,000. Both players featured for Reading during McDermott’s time as manager, though Doyle had left the Madejski Stadium by the time the 52-year-old replaced Brendan Rodgers.
Manchester City youngster Reece Wabara, a versatile defender who spent much of the recent season on loan at Oldham Athletic, has also been strongly linked with a move to Elland Road on loan.
Speaking on Tuesday, McDermott said: “We’ve made offers to players and we’ve gone for four so far.
“We’re working on them at the moment and they’re players who would improve the squad. But there are others who I’m looking to speak to.
“I want to bring in others on top of that.
“I won’t talk names and I won’t talk timescales because it means nothing until you’ve got a player signed. But we are progressing.”
